Artificial Saliva to Mitigate the Severity of Oral Mucositis in Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

A Randomized Controlled Trial

Authors

  • Batool Abdulkareem Karbala Health Directorate / Kerbala Center for Cardiac Diseases and Surgery.
  • Hassan Abdullah Athbi

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/d3000.2026.1413

Keywords:

Cancer, Artificial Saliva, Saliva

Abstract

To examine the effectiveness of artificial saliva in mitigating chemotherapy‑induced OM severity in cancer patients. A randomized controlled trial included 62 patients undergoing chemotherapy at oncology centers. Patients were selected using simple random sampling. The intervention group used artificial saliva for 14 days after receiving instructions, while the control group received conventional care only. Data were collected using a sociodemographic and clinical data questionnaire, the WHO Oral Toxicity Scale, and the Challacombe Scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations) and inferential statistics (independent t‑test) were used to examine differences between groups. A total of 62 patients (26 intervention, 36 control) completed the study. At baseline, all patients had grade 0 OM. After 14 days, 76.9% of the intervention group remained at grade 0 compared to only 11.1% of the control group. The intervention group had a significantly lower mean oral toxicity score (0.30 ± 0.6) than the control group (1.63 ± 0.93; p < 0.001). The control group showed a significant increase in oral dryness scores (p < 0.001), while the intervention group showed a significant reduction (p < 0.001). The between‑group difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Artificial saliva significantly reduces OM severity and alleviates oral dryness in chemotherapy patients. Oncology nurses should consider it as an effective adjunctive intervention.

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Published

2026-06-16

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 1 (2026)

Section

Infancy & Adolescence

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Batool Abdulkareem, Hassan Abdullah Athbi

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Revised 7/16/2018. Revision Description: Removed outdated link.